


Contrite

by Aecrimony



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Whump, fellowes mews universe, tag to Fellowes Mews
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 17:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13908576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aecrimony/pseuds/Aecrimony
Summary: The Manor gets snowed in and Ed gets snowed out. Hypothermia and cuddling ensued.





	Contrite

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nyagosstar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyagosstar/gifts), [sainnis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sainnis/gifts).
  * Inspired by [32 Down](https://archiveofourown.org/works/718668) by [sainnis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sainnis/pseuds/sainnis). 



> Whilst the other Fellowes Mews-fic has been in my folder for three years ('Failsafe'), this one has only been in there for 2,5 years. Yesterday I finally plunked my butt down to finish writing it and edit some more. Whilst I really did enjoy writing this one, I still have a knack for Failsafe.
> 
> Once more I own nothing! The universe was created by sainnis and nyagosstar. I really recommend you read those first in order to understand the universe a bit more (the reason why I don't really put any information is to kind of force new readers to read the FM-fics first...I am an awful person, I know. Sorry, not sorry.)

**Contrite**  
  


The sky was lead grey and heavy with snow that had yet to fall. The mercury had already dropped far below zero and would keep on doing so for the remainder of the day. The streets were empty when the first fat snowflakes started to fall down. Not in a gentle fashion but as a real blizzard with stinging wind that stole your breath away.

No sane person would dare to leave their house as the storm raged on and the ones that were caught unawares, quickly made their way back. One of said people was currently huddled in a red cape, arms clasped around his torso, feebly trying to bring back some heat to his body.

It didn’t help much as the automail appendages leached away every last bit of heat lingering in his limbs.

Ed gazed at the blurry shape of the Manor in the distance with longing as it became harder for him to take a step. He could no longer feel the pain that the cold caused in his ports and he was vaguely grateful because it was already difficult enough to keep moving without the extra setback.

Getting to the Manor was his only goal. He had had other goals as well, such as: kicking Hughes’ arse for sending him out there or giving Roy an entire rant about the total lack of a decent weather forecast. One would think they could predict a blizzard nowadays.

Hell, he had felt it coming for the past two days!

                  “Maybe you should have become a weather forecaster instead of my bodyguard,” Roy would comment, that smug smirk of his clearly indicating his amusement.

Ed clenched his teeth as a violent burst of wind whipped him around, making him stumble. If he wasn’t so damned cold he would be rather resigned to go inside, knowing Al would be waiting, armed to the teeth with syringes and all kinds of medical equipment. Then again, Al could make the pain go away. He could stop the feeling that instead of warm blood an icy river was coursing through his veins.

                  _“I’m never going out again,”_ Ed sullenly thought as he pushed the heavy iron gate of the Manor open.  
  
No guards were to be seen but they would be doubled inside. Ed knew that. He arranged it that way himself.

Just a couple more steps.

                  _“It’ll be warm inside, you’ll see. You can sleep. Roy will make it alright,”_ he thought to himself, giving him that extra push to keep going and not just collapse on the stairs. He tried opening the door with his flesh hand but stopped as he saw the dark purple colour of his numb fingers. Huh.

He used his automail hand instead, vaguely aware of his index and middle finger breaking as he bent the frozen automail in order to grasp the door handle.

The door swung open and all he could do was collapse inside as darkness claimed him as its own.

-*-

                  “-thermia...frozen...”

                  “...shivering...bad...broken?”

                  “...not yet...-aking up.”

                  “Ed?”

The conversation sounded like a badly tuned radio, Ed thought bemusedly. But the more he started to regain consciousness, the better the quality of the audio became. He also found that his body was incredibly heavy, lethargic and chilly, with a cold ache lingering deep in his bones.

He wanted to open his exhausted eyes –he had never liked the darkness- and see what was going on. And why he was lying in a reclined, yet comfortable position. He pushed himself to move again; maybe he could find another blanket? 

                  “Ed, are you back with us?”

Ed recognised that voice. That voice meant safety and warmth. Stubborn as he was he pried his heavy eyelids open. Everything was blurry for a moment and he had to blink a couple of times before his vision got clearer.

He saw Roy, at his left side and holding his flesh hand –which was wrapped in gauze-, smiling at him and Al to his right, holding a thermometer.

They both looked very relieved and Ed tried to ask what was going on when suddenly the pieces all fell together.

Oh...that probably explained why he was swaddled from head to toe in every blanket the Manor possibly owned and why Al was fussing with the thermometer.

                  “Ed?” Al asked, a small crease between his eyebrows, “Are you back with us?”

Ed belatedly realised he should say something. They probably thought his brain was damaged due to the cold. Was that even possible?

  
                  “Hey,” he whispered, feeling his dry lips crack.

                  “Thank heavens,” Roy heaved and got up, letting go of Ed’s hand as he walked away, towards the lit up fireplace.

                  “Hey,” Al greeted and showed the thermometer.

He didn’t need to explain. Ed had been through this numerous of times to know what Al wanted. He obediently opened his mouth; having learnt from personal experience that refusing only meant more trouble.

Whilst he was waiting for Al to take the thermometer out he tried to move and nearly bit down on the small glass tube. Pain was coursing through his nerve ends like lightning. Instead he opted to gasp and shut his eyes tightly. 

                  “Take it easy, Ed,” Roy hushed and laid a warm hand on Ed’s forehead. It felt so good.

Whilst Edward was trying to maintain his composure, Al took out the thermometer and read it.  
                  “His temperature is still low, but not as dangerously as before,” Ed heard him whisper to Roy. “But truth be told, I am concerned about the frostbite as well.”

Ed opened his eyes and exhaled deeply through his nose. Despite him being comfortable and all, he needed to make sure that Roy was all right. His exhausted, fuzzy brain decided that he should call for some extra guards. This was the perfect opportunity for perpetrators to enter the Manor!

He started to shift, trying to clamber out of the blanket-cocoon and ignored the sharp pain in his limbs. In his struggle he was aware of the pain being rather dull, meaning Al had given him something for the pain, which meant he was hurt enough to be administered painkillers.

                  “Ed, what the hell are you doing? Stay down,” Roy protested, trying to gently push him back down. Ed would have none of it however and ignored both pain and rationality.

                  “I need to double the guard. They will get in. It’s not safe!” he groaned, trying to escape two sets of hands. “They are going to get in! Don’t let them!”

                  “He’s raving. I’ll have to subdue him. He’ll only hurt himself more,” he heard Al say.

His strength was leaching away and when a sharp needle pierced his upper arm he knew he wouldn’t be going anywhere just yet.

-*-

When he woke up again it was night and Roy was fast asleep next to him. Ed just lay still for the moment, looking at the bright flickering light coming from the lit hearth. He was still chilly but not as bad as before. He also noticed that someone had taken off his automail arm and had wrapped the port with thick bandages.

The site hurt and Ed knew that the area was probably badly burnt, no thanks to the automail.

He gazed at the ceiling of the Summer suite and sighed: he was thirsty and nature was calling. So with some difficulty and no small amount of resentment he threw the multiple layers of blankets off and painstakingly shifted to the edge of the bed. Behind him Roy’s breath hitched but didn’t wake up.

Ed placed his sock clad feet on the ground but could still feel the chill creeping through the cloth.

_“I’m still way too cold”_ , he mused as he tried to stand up. His automail leg wouldn’t have it however and he sank back down on the mattress, wincing in pain and cussing softly as he waited the waves pf pain to wane off.

                  “Ed? What are you doing up?” Roy’s sleepy voice asked and a warm arm snuck around Ed’s abdomen. 

                  “I need to go to the toilet,” Ed whispered as he gratefully sank back against Roy’s chest.

                  “I’ll help you. Al wanted to take off your leg as well but I managed to convince him otherwise if I promised that I would keep you off of it.”

                  “Are you saying that you will carry me?” Ed ground out offended and started to move out of Roy’s warm grasp.

Roy snickered and nuzzled Ed’s neck, taking in the scent that was all Edward.

                  “Al left either crutches or the wheelchair. It’s up to you to decide,” Roy let go this time and got out of bed, padding over to the crutches.

He knew Ed wouldn’t want anything to do with a wheelchair. Ever again.

                  “Let’s do this.”

When they finally lay back in bed, Ed was trembling all over but not from the cold. The ten steps to the bathroom had been the most painful and exhausting steps he remembered taking. Well, at least he was at home and not in a hospital with tubes and catheters in places he’d rather not have tubes and catheters.

Roy had his arms wrapped around Ed’s torso and his breath ghosted lightly on the Fullmetal Alchemist’s skin.

                  “Are you still cold?” he asked softly and opened his eyes to look at Ed.

The latter shook his head.  
                  “How can I after the warm I.V. Al has given me and the direct order to snuggle.”

Roy chuckled.  
                  “Yes, the snuggling is the most essential part of your recovery.”

Ed then got quiet and as he sighed deeply Roy knew something was wrong.

                  “Ed?” Roy propped himself up on his elbow to get a better look at Edward.

                  “Hughes is hiding from me, isn’t he?” He hadn’t seen Mustang’s Chief of Staff anywhere, which must mean that the man was most likely hiding.

                  “He does feel guilty about the whole ordeal,” Roy answered honestly and traced a circle on Ed’s chest. “He’s gotten quite an earful from Al already but he tried to set his mistakes straight. As soon as news arrived of the blizzard he sent men out to find you. But if luck would have it one of the telephone cables snapped so he couldn’t call the shop manager and make you stay inside.

But then again, would you have stayed?”

Ed chuckled softly.

                  “I was mad at him at first. But now? No, I mean, he wanted to do something nice so I can’t really blame him, you know?”

Roy hummed in agreement and closed his eyes again as he sank back into the pillows.  
                  “He’s probably writing an apology speech as we speak.”

Ed smirked, hugging Roy close to his chest, as well as he could with only one arm.

-*-

                  “Well, your temperature is back to normal now. Normal, in your case, that is,” Al informed as he put away the thermometer. “I’ve also fixed your automail since you somehow managed to break two fingers.”

                  “Okay,” Ed wearily replied. He was exceptionally tired for some reason even despite the fact that he slept for eight hours straight. Roy frowned at the lack of response and even Al seemed thrown back.

They were sitting in the large Mahogany suite with Ed positioned on the huge dark leather couch, two blankets wrapped around his slender frame and Roy sitting on the bed, tying his shoes. Al had come by as promised. The storm had quieted down but had still managed to cause some collateral damage.

                  “Hey Ed, what’s with the silent treatment?” Al queried, searching for his stethoscope. He had at least expected that Ed would be excited about getting his arm back, so the lack of enthusiasm was rather unsettling.

Ed sank more into the chair, his eyelids drooping. Some part of his brain was wondering why he was so tired. Maybe he needed a refreshing shower and a good cup of tea.

He shot upright in shock as someone lifted his eyelid and a bright light flashed in front of his eyes. He snapped his head to the side, away from the onslaught and blinked furiously to get rid of the glaring after-image.

                  “Jeez Al, what was that for?” he spat and rubbed his eyes.

Al put away his penlight.  
                  “Ed, you are extremely lethargic and I need to know if there is something else ailing you. You know as well as I do that hypothermia is no laughing matter,” he reprimanded and then clicked his tongue in annoyance. As much as he loved his brother he also hated the fact that Ed would always downplay any symptoms.

Ed looked into Al’s gentle eyes and he knew that his younger brother only meant well.

                  “I am exhausted, my fingers and toes still hurt whenever I touch something and the burns are killing me,” Ed sighed, “But at least I am not freezing anymore. Maybe a bit chilly but that’s basically nothing which time and rest can’t cure.” 

Roy smirked.

                  “Yes, rest. Very important!”

Al shook his head and started unwrapping the thick bandage around Ed’s shoulder. It was rather painful to look at for the whole area was angry red and there were thick scabs where the automail touched the skin. It would probably hurt like a bitch if Ed were to move his arm.

He took the jar of ointment and put on some gloves. He deliberately spread a large amount of salve on Ed’s shoulder.

                  “When can I have my arm back?” Ed asked but Al noticed the strain in his voice.

                  “I want to give your shoulder at least two more days to heal some more. The strain would prove to be too much on your body. Besides if I snap the arm back and the pain proves to be too much you could go into shock. Not to mention that your body has to work even harder to keep your temperature up,” Al explained as he bandaged Ed’s shoulder, “If I had taken your leg off as well, your temperature would be back to normal and you wouldn’t be so tired,” Al continued and Ed saw Roy stiffen a bit. It then dawned to him that Roy had known about this

Then again, they all knew that a downed Ed was a very grumpy Ed. One who wouldn’t mind crawling over the floor so he could still move on his own. An arm was bad enough as it was. Take away his leg as well? Roy shivered involuntarily at the prospect.

                  “So two more days, eh? I can do that,” Ed muttered as he studied the site where the I.V. had formerly been.

                  “I mean rest Ed as in: you don’t get out of this room at all and you will sleep the majority of the day. This is non-negotiable. I am serious, Ed,” He added, making clear this wasn’t an option. Ed waved his hand in agreement as he sank back down on the cosy armchair.

                  “I’ll be fine don’t sweat it. You go back to Riza. She’s probably raving mad at you for not being home during the storm. A woman gets cold as well,” Ed grinned wickedly.

Al turned an impressive shade of red at Ed’s jest. He ducked his head as he started packing his bag. Ed chuckled softly but it came out more as a cough. If he had looked up he would’ve seen Al exchange a worried glance with Roy.  
                  “Hey Ed, let’s get you back to bed, all right?” Al smiled whilst Roy walked over to the comfy chair. With the help of the two men Ed managed to get to the bed. The few steps were rather tiring and Ed was glad when he was back in bed.

                  “This sucks,” Ed muttered as he nuzzled into Roy’s pillow. His eyes slid shut and he allowed himself to be lulled into sleep.

-*-

                  “Oh Ed,” Roy sighed as Ed coughed up what seemed like a lung. He had wrapped an arm around Ed’s shoulders to support the hacking frame of his lover. The latter’s newly fixed automail hand was gripping the edge of the marble table so tightly, Roy was afraid he might end up cracking it.

They were currently sat at the dining table. Four days had passed since the whole hypothermia ordeal and everything had gone well until today. The cough had worsened over night and it seemed as if it wasn’t going to be over just yet.

                  “Here, drink some tea,” Roy suggested and slid the hot cup into Ed’s hands. As Ed drank with tentative sips, Hughes walked in with a newspaper tucked underneath his arm. He immediately noticed something was wrong, being it because his papa-senses were tingling or the fact that Roy barely glanced at him, keeping his gaze trained on Edward.

                  “Did his cough get worse?” Hughes asked with a soft tone as he peeked at Ed. They had talked about what had happened and despite Ed telling him it was all forgotten and forgiven, he still felt a tad guilty about all of it.

Roy nodded and rubbed a hand over Ed’s broad back, not liking the docile and lethargic way the usual vibrant Fullmetal Alchemist was behaving.

                  “Hey Edward, let’s get you back in bed,” Roy sighed, worried by the lack of response.

                  “Time for a little nap,” Hughes jested, hoping for a yelled retort about Ed’s height, but when no such thing came he frowned as well. Curling a hand around Ed’s forehead he hissed at the raised temperature.

                  “Get him upstairs. I’ll call Alphonse.” 

Roy nodded and ducked his head to peer at Ed. The usually vibrant and gleaming golden irises were now bloodshot and glazed over. How had Ed managed to deteriorate so rapidly over night?

                  “Hey Ed, let’s go,” he kindly encouraged as he carded a hand through Ed’s sweaty blond bangs.

                  “’Kay,” Ed muttered and allowed himself to be pulled onto his feet by Roy. He had been feeling fine, really. Sure he had a cough but who wouldn’t after being hypothermic? Now he was feeling downright awful. There was a bone deep ache that had nothing to do with the changing weather or his automail and he could feel every heartbeat in his head like a dull knife. The worst of it all was that he didn’t even feel like protesting. He well and truly felt ill.

They didn’t quite get to the Ocean Suite. Roy should have foreseen it but it still caught him by surprise when Ed stumbled and his flesh leg gave out. The young man tried to right himself but he was depleted.

Ed’s body weight combined with the heavy automail sent them both to the ground. Thankfully Roy managed to make their rapid descent less painful because of his quick reflexes.

Ed lay panting on the deep crimson floor, sweat trickling into his hair, matting the bright blond bangs.

                  “I guess the couch is the only place you’ll be going to,” Roy heaved Ed into his arms, fully bridal style and carried him towards the large leather chair.

Ed closed his eyes as Roy laid him down. He heard him talk to one of the guards, reassuring everything was fine, that no, they weren’t under attack and yes, Al was coming.

Alphonse. His brother would kill him despite taking the Hippocratic oath.

He didn’t know how long it took for Al to arrive but it seemed he drifted off. He was shaken awake carefully by a warm hand on his shoulder. He felt the telltale cold of a compress on his forehead as he opened his eyes.

                  “Rise and shine, sleeping beauty,” Al smirked but his smile wasn’t genuine. He was too worried. Silly Al, thinking he could mask his emotions.

                  “You really like comin’ here don’tcha?” Ed slurred sleepily.

                  “Quite the contrary brother, despite common believes I prefer you to be healthy so I can focus on my other patients,” Al jibed and placed the round diaphragm of the stethoscope on Ed’s bared chest.

                  “Take a deep breath for me.”

Edward obliged but his breath turned into a sharp cough that left him gasping on the couch, with Al hovering over him, a frown on his face.

                  “I don’t need to check you further to know you have a case of walking pneumonia, brother,” Al sighed, tucking away the stethoscope.

                  “I have what now?” Ed coughed feebly.

His brother rearranged the cold cloth on Ed’s forehead.  
                  “Walking pneumonia, it’s the term we use when you have mild symptoms of pneumonia. We just have to make sure it stays that way. We can’t let it deteriorate. Not in your already weakened state.”

                  “For real?” Ed moaned as he slung an arm over his face. Here he was thinking he’d get better if he did as Al had told him: rest. Well, apparently not.

                  “I rested, I honestly did,” he whimpered, feeling too ill and awful to worry about behaving like a child.

                  “I am sorry, brother. Seems your immune system failed...Thankfully, it isn’t ‘bad’ enough to take you to the hospital but we definitely need to be cautious. I’ll get someone to help you to the suite and then send for Roy.”

                  “Uhu, whatever you say, baby brother,” Ed muttered tiredly, closing his eyes once more. He couldn’t care less if a bomb were to explode. Not now, anyways.

-*-

                  “It seems luck is on your side this time, Edward,” Roy smiled as he looked at the thermometer.

Ed grumbled something under his breath as he sat cross-armed and leaning against the headrest in bed. Thanks to Al’s wide spectrum antibiotics he had managed to get better. He was still weak and tired most of the time and he still slept an awful lot.

                  “Yeah, lucky me,” he scoffed and cracked his neck. Lying around so much was starting to make his muscles stiff and sore. He really needed a good run. But alas, he was under strict order to stay in bed.

There was a knock on the door and Hughes poked his head in.  
                  “Yo, I came to check up on you, Edward. Al won’t be able to make it tonight so he’ll stop by tomorrow morning.”

                  “I told him it is unnecessary to come by every day. But he doesn’t listen to me...He says I am ill and therefore my judgment is impaired,” Ed grouched and shot a glare at Roy.

If only a certain Prime Minister hadn’t been so apt on a daily check-up from his friendly house doctor, he’d be out of bed already.

                  “You can’t blame him, Ed,” Roy placated as he rummaged around in the room. It was eerily clean. Usually, Roy would drop his clothes right where he’d take them off: the floor. Not knowing what else to do Roy had decided to pick up the clothes and put them in the laundry basket.

It had shocked Ed at first but now he couldn’t help but laugh.

                  “Seems the Prime Minister has decided to do something useful,” he jibed.

                  “That’s only because a certain someone has been complaining too much about it,” Roy shot back and threw a pair of –clean, mind you- socks at Ed’s head. His arm, still not healed properly, refused to reach up in time so it thudded against Ed’s forehead and then in his lap.

                  “Oh, real mature,” Ed huffed and threw the socks back at Roy’s head. The Prime Minister was in perfect shape and caught them with ease.

Hughes looked at the banter and shook his head. It was hard to believe sometimes that these were adult men. Not to mention that one of them was Prime Minister, for crying out loud.

                  “All right then. I’ll inform Alphonse that you are okay. But he says you should take it easy anyways, especially since you are still weak-” Ed made a face at Hughes’ words, “-and if you are going back to your usual habits you’ll end up having a set-back ‘or worse’.”

                  “I’ll make sure he takes it easy,” Roy wickedly grinned, throwing a pair of slacks into the laundry basket, which was strategically placed in the middle of the room.

Hughes left the room and closed the door with a soft click.

                  “I’m bored,” Ed sighed and dropped his hands in his lap, rubbing over a scratch on his automail hand.

Roy finished pretending to be a cleaning maid, walked over to the king-sized bed and sat down on the edge.

                  “You feel like playing a game of chess?” he suggested, looking at Ed’s still pale face. He was looking gradually better every day but was still not completely healthy and he was afraid that if Ed would push himself too much in too short a time, he’d collapse altogether and get even more ill.

                  “I’d lose anyways, but yeah, why not,” Ed shrugged. He had to admit, he liked lazy weekends. Especially since Roy didn’t have any duties to do and the things he needed to do, he could do in their room. So at least Ed wasn’t alone.

It was also a good thing he wasn’t admitted to a hospital, he’d go raving mad!

They played for a solid hour and the game obviously ended with Ed losing. For once he didn’t throw a temper tantrum but Roy did earn a petulant glare. The former Flame Alchemist chuckled and pressed a kiss on the top of Edward’s hair.  
                  “You’ll win eventually, Fullmetal,” he fondly said.

Ed looked at Roy and a wicked grin spread over his face.  
                  “You bet I will, bastard!”

They both chuckled and settled down in bed, watching the snowflakes fall through the window, together.

 

_Einde._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading it! I surely enjoyed writing it :3  
> \- I kept the reason why Hughes sent Ed out vague because that isn't really the plot of the story. I just needed a small reason for Ed to go outside and when I found one I didn't really feel like elaborating!  
> \- the story may end abrupt but that's because I am extraordinarily bad at wrapping up stories  
> \- I didn't want to give Ed actual pneumonia, since that trope is already covered in one of the original FMews-fics.
> 
> This story was unbeta-ed and hopefully I didn't leave too many mistakes. If there are any huge eye-catchers please let me know!
> 
> If anyone is interesting in seeing another Fellowes Mews-based fic, please let me know as well!


End file.
